Not Yet Rescued

Elaine Pierce
May 21
4 min read

What John’s story teaches us about the rescue to come

Tue, May 21, 2025 at 1:59 PM EDT 4 min read

Image of a jail cell with light coming in.

A Question from the Darkness

John sat in prison. His ministry had come to an abrupt halt. From his cell, he heard of his cousin’s miracles—Jesus’ ministry was thriving. John had prepared the way and recently even baptized Jesus himself and boldly declaring, “He must increase, and I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

But now the decrease was overwhelming.

He sent a question to Jesus:

“Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Luke 7:19)

It sounds almost accusing. John was discouraged. Maybe even doubtful.

The Messiah had come. But John was suffering, imprisoned for doing exactly what God had called him to do. The Messiah was meant to right what was wrong.

Where was the rescue?

Jesus responded by quoting Isaiah 35 (as recorded in Luke 7):

"The blind receive their sight, the lame walk… the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them."

Then He added:

“Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” (Luke 7:22–23)

Yes, Jesus was the one John had waited for. Jesus offered proof and challenged to John to hold fast to his faith even at his lowest point when rescue didn’t come.

Not Every Wrong Is Set Right—Yet.

The power of Jesus is a setting-right power. Wherever He goes, He undoes the curse.

Life and blessing flow from his veins. He is the creator of life (Genesis 1) and the Sustainer of life (Colossians 1:17). His touch draws a cursed and broken humanity back to a reflection of the image of God. He heals. He redeems.

He sets right what is wrong. But not every wrong—not yet.

When the Light Feels Far Away

John’s question in Luke 7:19 is worth pondering:

“Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"

He was imprisoned for truth and murdered for entertainment.

The full impact of the curse of sin and death were playing out in John’s life in a terrifying manner. He would shortly be murdered, his head given as a prize to a teenage girl for entertaining a royal court. It doesn’t get more depraved. More sorrowful.

He believed in the Light. He had seen it with his own eyes. But now he sat in darkness. And in that moment of questioning, it felt as if he had been abandoned, given over to the weight of the curse.

This is the tension of our world.

“At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.”(Hebrews 2:8)

Christ is the curse-breaker, or as Kevin DeYoung so aptly titles him, the “snake-crusher.” But we live on this side of the veil. We may not be rescued from the horror and pain of our current circumstances.

John died. There was no last-minute escape.

Many of us may relate to John. We do believe. But the circumstances of our lives can feel so defeating. We may look at Christ in our most bitter hour and cry, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” (Ps. 13:1)

The Rescue

John may have known the passage Jesus quoted to him well enough to remember the promises that further enriched Isaiah’s prophecy in chapter 35:

"Say to those with fearful hearts,

Be strong, do not fear;

your God will come,

he will come with vengeance,

with divine retribution

he will come to save you…

No lion will be there,

nor any ravenous beast;

they will not be found there.

But only the redeemed will walk there,

and those the Lord has rescued will return.

They will enter Zion with singing;

everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,

and sorrow and sighing will flee away."

(Isaiah 35:3–4, 9–10, NIV)

Jesus sent more than an answer—He sent hope. A promise of rescue and redemption for those with fearful hearts.

Jesus gently shepherded John’s heart. The Messiah’s signs of blind seeing, lame walking, and dead rising point us, not to mere rescue from earthly trials, but ultimately to the rescue of our souls. This promise was nearly fulfilled in John’s life at the moment of his questioning.

John’s grisly death in prison was not the end of his story. Death is not the end of any believer's story.

After they took his head, John saw the face of God in heaven.

His rescue was complete. It was eternal.

There all was made right with John’s soul. There we also will find eternal rescue where Jesus, seated on his throne, cries out, “Behold I make all things new.” (Rev. 21:5)